


50 First Dates

by la_muerta



Series: The Universe Is Conspiring Against Us [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Barebacking, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Humor, Lawyer Alec Lightwood, Lawyer Magnus Bane, M/M, Overstimulation, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Sex Toys, Shameless Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-11-03
Packaged: 2019-01-26 20:13:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12565296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/la_muerta/pseuds/la_muerta
Summary: Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood are lawyers from rival law firms, and they can't stand the sight of each other.Now, if only the universe would get the memo and stop conspiring to bring them together, goddamnit!





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

"Thank you, Your Honour," Magnus said politely, tamping down the urge to sigh while he gathered up his notes. 

"Better luck next time, Bane," a deep voice said smugly. 

Magnus turned around to face the opposing council with a cocky smile firmly plastered on his face. "Oh, darling. I have to throw you a bone every now and then, don't I? After all, I did win every other case against you this year."

"I won the Cassidy case," his opponent reminded him, looking a lot less smug now. 

"Based on a technicality," Magnus shrugged. "And pure luck."

"I don't need luck to win my cases."

"Keep telling yourself that, Alexander," Magnus replied with a polite smile calculated to convey the perfect balance of condescension and nonchalance.

"It's 'Mr Lightwood' to you," his opponent bit out, and Magnus smirked. It was far too easy to rile Alexander Lightwood up. 

"Good luck, Alexander," Magnus said with a cheeky wave, and strolled out of the courtroom, leaving his paralegal to struggle to keep up with him.

If Magnus was being honest with himself, Alexander Lightwood  _was_  a rather impressive opponent. He was the youngest lawyer from rival law firm Idris LLP, recently graduated from Stanford University with full honours, and had already earned the distinction of winning every single case he had handled so far - unless he was up against Magnus, of course. He was also a sight for sore eyes in a suit, and had the loveliest hazel eyes.

Unfortunately, he was also the biggest asshole Magnus had ever had the misfortune to meet - the first time they had met in the courtroom, Magnus had attempted to be friendly and shake hands with Lightwood after the verdict, only to be rebuffed none too politely. In fact, the younger man had behaved as if he couldn't believe someone like Magnus - who had worked his way up slowly from paralegal to finally taking the bar after graduating from arguably the worst (and cheapest) law school in the United States - could possibly have the audacity to beat someone like him. Like Magnus had done him some great personal wrong by winning the case. And Magnus had no time for sore losers. 

After that, Magnus had made it his mission to find and push all of Lightwood's buttons whenever they met. So far, he had discovered that Lightwood hated being called "Alexander" (he preferred "Alec"), hated being called pet names like "darling" and "sweetheart", hated it when anybody pushed into his personal space, and particularly lost his shit when Magnus flirted with him when court was in session. It made for petty entertainment, and had the additional benefit of unsettling his opponent, so why not? 

 

 

Alec loosened his tie the moment he got home, exhausted from the long work day. At least he'd finally beat the ever-infuriating Magnus Bane in court. He spotted Izzy's shoes thrown haphazardly in a corner and sighed, wondering if even the triumph from his success in court was going to give him enough energy to deal with his sister on a Friday night - because he knew Izzy, and her being here on a Friday night could only mean _plans_ for Alec.

"Izzy?" he called out.

"In your closet!" she replied.

_Great_. Alec ran a hand over his face. "I don't want to go to a party, Izzy. I just want to stay in and order Chinese and read my book."

There was a clatter, and footsteps. Then his sister popped her head out of his bedroom. "Did you lose your case to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named again?"

"What made you think I lost?!" Alec sputtered. "Am I not allowed to want to have a quiet night in even though I won the case?"

"Oh, you won? Congratulations!" Izzy squealed and bounded out of his bedroom to give him a big hug. "I knew you had it in you, big brother!"

"Thanks," Alec grinned. 

"Well, that should put you in a good mood for tonight then. Maybe you won't scare _this_ one away with your grumpiness."

Alec narrowed his eyes. "Scare who away?"

"Your blind date! I set up one for you with a guy from my yoga class," Izzy said, ignoring the thunderclouds on Alec's face. 

"Izzy! I don't want to go on a blind date!"

Izzy levelled him with a stern stare that reminded Alec far too much of their mother. "Alec, you have had one boyfriend in your entire life. _One_. When you were in college. And you're always complaining about how you have no time for dating because you're always so busy with work, and complaining about feeling like a fifth wheel when Jace and I ask you over for movie nights with our significant others. So I took matters into my own hands."

"I'm fine," Alec replied.

"Alec, if you keep this up, before you know it, you're going to be seventy and living all alone in a big house, with only a dozen cats for company," Izzy said. "Come on, live a little. It'll be fun. He's _really_ hot."

"Uh huh," Alec said skeptically. 

"Hey, I'll have you know that if I wasn't already with Simon, I would get it on with him in a heartbeat," Izzy said. "Oh, he's bi, if that's why you're looking at me like that. Trust me, ok?"

"Trust you? You're with Simon. I think that says a lot about your taste in men."

Izzy punched him in the shoulder. "Shut up, Simon is nerd-hot. Anyway, this guy - he's really flexible. Like _really_ flexible," she wiggled an eyebrow at him. "You wouldn't want to stand a nice guy up on a Friday night, right?"

Alec frowned and tried not to blush at what his baby sister was implying. "Ok, I'll go if you promise not to set me up on anymore stupid blind dates."

"Oh, I won't need to - I'm sure you'll hit it off," Izzy said confidently. "He's a lawyer too. Corporate law, like you, so at least you'll definitely have something to talk about. He'll be waiting for you at that piano bar you like off 54th - we agreed that he's going to be wearing a red tie, and you'll wear a blue tie, and you'll both be carrying white roses."

Alec rolled his eyes and sighed. This already sounded like a bad idea, but maybe anything would be better than him sitting alone at home thinking about how hot Magnus Bane had looked today in his stupid tailored suit. "Can I just go in this and change my tie?"

" _No_."

 

 

Two hours and four changes of clothes later, Alec was walking into the bar, twirling the stem of a single white rose in between his fingers and feeling like a prize idiot. Addressing an entire audience in court was fine, but having to deal with people in a one-on-one setting was a nightmare. It was even worse when the person in question was an attractive guy. Alec still cringed to remember the first time he had met Magnus Bane and had been so awkward that he couldn't remember what he was supposed to do when someone offered their hand for a handshake.

The lights in the bar were dim, with only one spotlight on the pianist for the evening. He scanned the room, trying to spot the glow of another white rose in the gloom, but he didn't really see anybody sitting alone, so he got himself a table and placed the rose gingerly on the table before he mangled the stem in his nervousness. He was early, he knew that. And even if the guy stood him up, he was totally ok with sitting here by himself, enjoying the music - god knows he did it often enough.

He had just started to think he had really been stood up when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

"Are you Isabelle's brother, then?"

Wait, that voice... Alec realised who his blind date was a split second before he saw Magnus Bane standing behind him with a white rose in his perfectly manicured hands, looking unfairly handsome in a dark button-up, pin-striped vest, and blood-red cravat.

"Lightwood," Magnus said, too surprised to even call him 'Alexander' like he usually did to annoy him.

"Shit," Alec cursed under his breath. "What were the chances, huh?"

Magnus' eyes narrowed. "I didn't peg Isabelle as the cruel sort, but evidently being an asshole runs in the family."

"What? No - she doesn't know, ok?" Alec stuttered. "I mean, I tell her about my work, but I never told her your name. I just refer to you as 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'."

Magnus looked unimpressed. "Really? You decided to give me the same code name as a genocidal villain from a children's book?"

"Izzy's boyfriend is a nerd," Alec said by way of explanation.

Magnus sighed and threw himself dramatically into a chair. "Well, this evening is turning out to be a real disappointment for the both of us. Maybe we can drown our sorrows together and then have drunken hate sex."

Alec glared at Magnus, torn between wishing he'd just go away and let Alec die of mortification in peace, and wishing he'd stay a little longer. "Not really my sort of thing."

"Never say never, darling," Magnus replied with a flirty wink.

"Look, I'm really sorry about wasting your time," Alec finally said when the awkwardness got too much to bear, getting up and throwing down a few bills. "Drinks on me, all right?"

"I am capable of paying for my own drinks, Lightwood," Magnus replied coldly, and got up as well. Before Alec could say anything else, he was gone.

"That went well," Alec muttered, looking down at the two white roses abandoned on the table. 

 

 

Magnus had a great weekend working out, spending quality time with his cat, catching up on his sleep and TV shows, and emphatically _not_ sulking. So Alexander Lightwood was an asshole - that was hardly groundbreaking news. It was Magnus' own fault for getting his hopes up about the handsome, kind, generous and intelligent big brother Isabelle had been gushing about. Well, she'd gotten the handsome and intelligent bit right, but maybe the kind and generous side of Alec Lightwood was something only his family got to witness. Or she had been lying, because god knows with a personality like that, it was no wonder Alec Lightwood was single. Just remembering the way he'd thrown down those bills on the table like Magnus was some sort of beggar was making Magnus' blood boil. 

Naturally, when he went into the office on Monday, the first thing he did was to make a beeline for his colleague Maia Roberts' office to start complaining about the state of his love life. 

"Only you, Magnus, would end up on a blind date with Alec Lightwood," she laughed. 

"The universe is mocking me, I swear," Magnus lamented. "Why does he have the face of an angel but the attitude of a hellhound? To be honest, I wasn't even a hundred percent sure he was gay before this, because I've never caught him checking me out - and face it, we all know how impossible that is." 

"Yeah, yeah," Maia laughed. "Tell you what - the friend of a friend is holding an art exhibition next Wednesday evening. And, well, he's taken, and his friend is apparently seeing the brother of his girlfriend, but apparently the siblings have a brother who is still single. And if those looks run in the family, you can bet the brother is going to be a looker."

"With my luck, he'll probably be the only one who's hideous," Magnus laughed. "But if he's nice, I'd still take him over Asshole Lightwood." 

"I'll be your wing woman," Maia grinned. 

"My chances are looking better already," Magnus grinned back. 


	2. Chapter 2

 

The gallery wasn't very packed, but the turn out was pretty decent for a new, unknown artist, Magnus supposed. He could see why - whoever the artist was, he or she had a deft eye for capturing the nuances in emotion and a talent for using bold colour to draw the eye to certain details. He wouldn't mind buying a piece or two for his own walls. 

Maia was late, as usual, but Magnus didn't mind. She accepted the glass of wine he'd snagged for her and they wandered around admiring the works and people-watching while they waited for her friends to turn up. 

There was a soft beep from her phone. "Oh, they're here! Shall we go meet them?"  

Magnus let her lead the way, truthfully more interested in the paintings than in the prospect of meeting the mysterious possibly-good-looking brother. So it wasn't until they'd joined the little group and it was too late for him to make a quick escape that he noticed Isabelle. 

"Magnus!" she greeted him delightedly, and he had kissed her on the cheek before he put two and two together. 

"Alexander," he said wryly. "What a lovely surprise."

"Oh my god," Maia muttered out of the corner of her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Magnus." 

The good thing was, Alec Lightwood looked just as stunned to see him here, and was doing a rather fetching impression of a goldfish. A very well-dressed and fit goldfish, wearing a navy button-up that hugged all the right places. It would have been perfect if he hadn't regained the ability to speak.  

"Bane. Roberts." Alec greeted them with a curt nod. Magnus pretended not to see Isabelle kicking her brother in the shin. 

"Sorry, he's socially inept," Isabelle apologised, and Magnus had to hide his laugh in his wine glass at the look of outrage on Alec's face. He decided that despite the ill-advised attempt to set him up with her brother, Isabelle was his new favourite person. 

"Well, which of you is the talented artist throwing this exhibition?" Magnus asked. 

There were introductions made all around, and soon they were all getting along like a house on fire, even the blond guy with the mismatched eyes who had initially been a bit protective of the lovely Clary. Well, Alec continued to stick out like a sore thumb, quietly gulping wine every time it looked like he might finally join in the conversation, but nobody was counting him. All in all, Magnus had a very enjoyable evening and made some new friends. 

But Magnus also promised himself that the next time anybody tried to set him up with a new guy, he was going to find out his name first. 

 

 

The weeks that followed were torturous for Alec. Magnus seemed to have insinuated himself into every part of Alec's already limited social circle - he was having coffee with Clary, going shopping with Izzy, and even Jace had spoken to him once or twice when they'd all gone to listen to Simon's band perform at some hipster place. Alec, on the other hand, had to settle for glimpses of Magnus at the courthouse, and sitting alone at home with a tub of vanilla ice cream when they all went out clubbing with Magnus because he refused to embarrass himself further in front of the other man. 

So it was really entirely Magnus' fault that he ended up opening the Grindr app Izzy had installed on his phone, scrolling through the pictures with the vague idea of just finding someone to help him get his inconvenient crush on Magnus Bane out of his system. Alec hadn't used the app much - he had had a couple of hook-ups since college, but having sex with strangers always sent him into a downward spiral of self-loathing, and it just wasn't worth it for a couple of hours of companionship and mediocre sex. And nobody really messaged Alec on the app because his profile picture was just a blurry, pixellated silhouette he'd cropped from a group photo. 

After scrolling through a few dozen pictures of very attractive men and finding himself immensely bored, Alec was just about to give up when he spotted the photo of a grey and white cat. It piqued his interest enough to click on it - the photo belonged to a user who went by the handle 'Chairman Meow', and appeared to be some sort of troll account because all the fields had been answered from the point of view of the cat. But it made Alec laugh, so he'd sent the user a message for fun, and he'd gone back to looking for a book to read, not really expecting a reply. 

But 'Chairman Meow' _did_  reply - with a series of meows and cat emojis at first, then later with proper human sentences when they started chatting. And it was honestly the most fun Alec had had in a long time. 'Chairman Meow' was funny and witty and smart, sassy without being mean, and Alec found it much easier to respond in kind when he was hiding behind a screen. They had conversations about cats, archery (Alec) and dance ('Chairman Meow'), and everything in between. So after two weeks, when 'Chairman' suggested meeting up for drinks - just something friendly and casual, definitely not a booty call - Alec said yes. 

 

 

They had arranged to meet at an old-school, casual pub that Alec had never been to before. It was relatively quiet for a Saturday night, with one of those retro jukeboxes sitting in a corner, waiting for someone to pick a tune. 'Chairman Meow' had suggested that they both wear flannel shirts and cowboy hats, but Alec was pretty sure he had been joking about the hats. 

"You've _got_ to be kidding me."

Alec shut his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Then he turned around, and gods, he hadn't been joking about the hats. And it was patently unfair that Magnus Bane could make something as ridiculous as a flannel shirt and a cowboy hat look sexy.

"Wait - you don't have a hat," Magnus said, sounding a little hopeful. 

"I thought you were joking," Alec mumbled. 

Magnus deflated and sat down on the stool next to Alec. "Well, _Gideon_. Tell me the truth - are you stalking me? Are you actually secretly a serial killer?"

"Gideon is my middle name," Alec replied defensively. "Besides, you're hardly one to talk, your profile is under your cat's name."

"Touché," Magnus conceded.  

They sat in a tense silence for a while, then Magnus asked abruptly, "You _were_ the one who was responding to my messages, right? It wasn't Isabelle or Jace?"  

"Yeah, of course," Alec replied in confusion. "Why would..." 

"It's just - you're actually not as much of an asshole online," Magnus said. 

"Gee, thanks," Alec bit out sarcastically. "Right back at you."

"You think _I'm_ an asshole?" Magnus asked, sounding affronted. 

"You're already plenty intimidating in court, with your experience and your reputation, but every time you come up against me, you keep trying to distract me with inappropriate behaviour. It's unprofessional," Alec replied, stubbornly committed to putting his foot in his mouth around Magnus.  

"You think I'm intimidating?" Magnus asked in surprise. 

"Yeah. I mean, you have an almost perfect success rate in court, and you made senior partner when you were only thirty. And the cases you've handled - you have a reputation for defending underdogs, for taking on big companies on behalf of the man in the street."

Magnus was staring at him now, and Alec took refuge in his beer. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you actually admire me."

"Well, don't let it go to your head, I still think you're an ass," Alec replied. 

"You know what, I'm too sober for this conversation," Magnus declared, and ordered a round of tequila shots for each of them.  

By the time they had both had a few rounds of shots, Alec was feeling too warm, so he had taken off his flannel shirt to reveal a plain grey T-shirt underneath, and Magnus had given away his hat at some point to some girl out on her Hen Night party. They were still a long way from being drunk, but Alec was feeling significantly less self-conscious.  

"Alright, maybe I assumed, unfairly, that a trust-fund baby like you with an Ivy League education was always going to look down on someone like me," Magnus admitted.  

"What trust fund? My dad disowned me when I told him I was gay," Alec said, staring a little moodily into his empty glass. "I was lucky to get a full-ride scholarship." 

"That sucks," Magnus said sympathetically. "You know, Lightwood & Lightwood was the first law firm I applied to after I passed the bar exam. And at the interview, your father said that I would be a liability to the firm because of my race and sexuality. I thought he'd make an exception for his own son though."

Alec huffed. "No. _He's_ the real asshole." 

Magnus laughed. "Ok, _that_ I think we can both agree on." He held out his glass to Alec. "To not being the biggest asshole in New York City, at least."

Alec snorted and clinked his glass with Magnus'. "By the way - why would you use your cat for your Grindr profile?" 

"It was a joke," Magnus shrugged. "You're probably the first person to message me on Grindr." 

"Really? You don't actually use it?" 

Magnus waggled a finger at Alec warningly. "Are you trying to say something, Lightwood? Remember, we've just established that your father is the biggest asshole in the City. I hope you're not intending to challenge him for the title."

"I just thought... Well, you're you. You must have tonnes of people willing to sleep with you." 

"That doesn't mean _I_ want to sleep with them. Do I really look like the playboy sort?" 

Alec shrugged, and Magnus narrowed his eyes. "I'll have you know that I don't do casual sex. For all I know, _you're_ the promiscuous one." 

"Only had one boyfriend, in college. Haven't been with anyone for almost two years now," Alec replied honestly, the alcohol loosening his tongue. 

"Two years? Wow. No wonder you're so easy to rile up," Magnus teased. "Want me to lend a hand? Quite literally. I don't usually put out on the first date, but maybe you'd be a little less wound up. I'd be doing everyone around you a favour, probably rack up some karma points."

"Fuck you, Bane," Alec grumbled, but he couldn't hide the blush creeping up his cheeks. 

Magnus grinned mischievously. Old habits died hard. He leaned in close so only Alec could hear him: "Would you like to?" 

"No! Shut up."

"Or maybe you prefer being the one getting fucked?"

"Bane, don't make me punch you."

"I'm not really into BDSM, but if that's your kink I won't judge," Magnus said seriously, and in a slightly louder voice than necessary. 

"Will you stop it?!" Alec hissed, looking around self-consciously.  

"Shit, are you really actually into BDSM? I was just joking. But that _is_ a little bit hot coming from you."

"If you don't shut up, I swear-"

"What?" Magnus smirked. "What are you going to do about it?" 

Alec got up off his stool and loomed threateningly over Magnus, and for a moment Magnus worried he had gone a little too far in his teasing until Alec leaned down to press a firm but gentle kiss to Magnus' lips. His tongue swiped at the seam of Magnus' lips, asking for entry, then he tilted his head a little and sealed their lips together and sucked Magnus' tongue into his own mouth. Magnus let out a surprised moan, but before he could snake one hand up into Alec's nape to hold him there, Alec was pulling away. 

"That," Alec said a little breathlessly. 

"Ok, that worked," Magnus mumbled, and reached up to capture Alec’s plush bottom lip between his own again.

Kissing Alec was intoxicating, like a drug he couldn't get enough of, and a large part of it was the enthusiasm and _concentration_ Alec was putting into the kiss, like every cell of his being was cleaving towards Magnus. Someone in the pub wolf-whistled at them, and they pulled away from each other reluctantly. 

They ought to slow down and talk about this. Magnus had already told Alec that he didn't do casual sex, and he was pretty sure Alec didn't either. But for the first time Magnus noticed that Alec's pupils were blown wide, with only a thin ring of hazel left, and Magnus' upstairs brain promptly went on vacation.

"Let's get out of here," he suggested, and Alec nodded eagerly while scrambling to pull some bills out of his wallet to cover their drinks. He slid his hand into Alec's, and damn if Alec smiling at him like that wasn't as heady as Alec kissing him.

And if anybody watching thought they were behaving like teenagers when they ran out of the pub and into the night, laughing and still holding hands, Magnus couldn't care less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally went with the "Shut up"-"Make me" trope and I'm not even sorry.
> 
> Fair warning: the next chapter is just going to be gratuitous porn. So if that's not your thing, the plot will return in the chapter after.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you missed my warning at the end of the previous chapter, this is all porn. Plot returns in the chapter after this.

 

 

It took Alec only about six tries to get the stupid hotel key card in the slot because Magnus kept sucking what were probably going to be massive hickeys on Alec's neck. Then they walked into the walls twice on the way to the bed because they were too busy trying to get each other's shirts off.

Magnus barely managed to get his shoes and socks off before Alec was pulling him onto the bed. Fighting to catch his breath, Magnus ran an admiring glance down Alec's body. He really was a very beautiful man, with abs to die for and liquid eyes that Magnus wanted to drown in forever. Alec had parted his knees to bracket Magnus' hips, and their groins were rubbing together just enough to encourage the lust pooling in his lower body.

"Where did you learn to kiss like that, Alexander Gideon Lightwood?" Magnus murmured as he nuzzled behind Alec's ear. 

Alec didn't answer - he just turned his head to capture Magnus' lips with his own again, his hips bucking up to meet Magnus', and for a moment they just rocked against each other, moaning into each other's mouths. Alec soon had his hands on the fly of Magnus' jeans, and Magnus couldn't help laughing at Alec's shocked intake of breath when he realised Magnus had gone commando. 

"Do you always forget to wear underwear when you're meeting a friend for drinks?" Alec asked, tone a little accusatory. 

"Interferes with the line of my jeans," Magnus smirked, and began working off Alec's jeans and boxers as well. 

Once they were both gloriously naked, Magnus pressed down his hips so their cocks were lined up, and they both began rutting against each other in earnest. It felt so good, Magnus would have been happy to just keep at it until they both came, but Alec evidently had other ideas. 

"Magnus, stop, I... um," Alec worried his lower lip with his teeth, and fuck if Magnus didn't want to just swoop down and take over. "I want more."

"More? Like all the way?" Magnus asked.

"Do you have a condom?"

"No. I mean, we agreed this wasn't going to be a sex thing," Magnus replied. "Before."

"Yeah, I know. Fuck," Alec mumbled, and Magnus couldn't help feeling a little disappointed too, that he couldn't give Alec what he wanted.

Magnus was about to suggest that there was always next time (there _was_ going to be a next time, right?) when Alec interrupted him with: "I'm negative. I had to get tested when I joined Idris, and I haven't slept with anybody since then," Alec said in a rush. 

"Are you suggesting what I think you are suggesting?" Magnus asked, a jolt of arousal going straight to his groin when Alec nodded. "I'm negative too, I went for a test after my last break-up, and anyway I always use a condom," Magnus assured Alec. "But are you sure about this?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, but we've got no lube though," Magnus muttered, then his eyes lighted up and he got off the bed.

Alec sat up in confusion when Magnus disappeared into the en suite bathroom, but Magnus emerged triumphant after a few minutes with a small packet of lotion. 

"Moisturiser," he explained. "Should work in a pinch. Top or bottom, darling?" 

"I, uh... You know," Alec stuttered, and made a vague gesture with his hands. 

"No, I don't. Use your big boy words, Alexander."

Alec scowled at Magnus. "Fuck you."

"Top, then?"

"No, uh, the other one."

"Alexander," Magnus said in a gentler voice. "You're allowed to enjoy whatever makes you feel good in bed. There's nothing to be ashamed of."

Alec's smile returned a little then. "Yeah, ok. Bottom, please."

"So polite," Magnus teased, climbing back onto the bed. 

Alec confessed that he had only done this once before, so Magnus took his time slowly working Alec open. He pressed one slippery finger against Alec's entrance, then leaned down to push his tongue into Alec's mouth in a mimicry of what he was about to do with his fingers. Alec moaned, and Magnus took advantage of his distraction to press his finger in all the way until the first knuckle. 

"Fuck, you're so tight," Magnus groaned, and Alec bucked his hips up in response. 

"Oh, you like it when I talk dirty?" Magnus grinned, sliding his finger the rest of the way in, and Alec's undoubtedly salty response was lost in a broken moan. Magnus leaned back down and started fucking his tongue into Alec's mouth in time with his finger, and Alec moaned louder. 

"Another finger," Alec insisted, already sounding fucked out of his mind, and who was Magnus to say no?

He squeezed out more lotion on to his fingers, and started working a second finger in. When the second finger was all way in too, he curled his fingers a little and hummed in satisfaction when he found Alec's prostate. 

"Oh my god, Magnus, please, please," Alec cried out, thrashing about under Magnus' ministrations. 

"You're doing so well, Alexander," Magnus said, giving his own erection a few strokes with his free hand to take some of the pressure off. "You're taking it so beautifully."

"Stop being such a tease, one more," Alec panted, then clenched his jaw in pain at the unfamiliar burn. He forced himself to relax, and once he had adjusted enough, Magnus started pumping his fingers in and out of Alec again, spreading his fingers on the back stroke before thrusting in hard. 

"Fuck. That's - shit. Ok, that's enough, I'm good," Alec said, his voice strained and hips chasing the movement of Magnus' fingers. "Come on, Magnus."

Magnus had never had sex without a condom before, either on the giving end or the receiving end. Now, he wasn't sure he could ever go back. Even with the oily moisturiser easing the way, he could feel the drag of his hard flesh against Alec's rim, and without the barrier of latex between them, every sensation seemed to be magnified a hundredfold. Alec's body was so hot, so perfect - being in him was like a taste of heaven. They both moaned when Magnus bottomed out, Alec actually starting to shiver. 

"You ok?" Magnus managed, trying to ignore the clenching heat around him urging him to just _take_.

"Fine, perfect. _Move_ ," Alec begged. 

Magnus rolled his hips forward and gave a few experimental thrusts, slow and shallow, until Alec lost his patience and dug his heels into Magnus' ass, then rolled them over. 

"Too. Fucking. Slow," Alec panted, punctuating each word with a sharp downward thrust, fucking himself hard on Magnus' cock. 

Magnus groaned and tightened his grip on Alec's hips, and let Alec take his own pleasure. Alec set a punishing pace, slamming himself down over and over again and searching for the right angle until pretty soon he was just babbling an endless stream of nonsense interspersed with Magnus' name. 

"God, just like that, Magnus, your cock feels so fucking good in me," Alec groaned, his swollen cock trailing pre-come and bouncing obscenely with every thrust. 

"Alexander, you're beautiful, so beautiful."

Magnus rolled them back over again and leaned down to press sloppy, messy kisses on Alec's neck and chest, rubbing Alec's cock between them. Alec made a desperate noise and started stroking his own cock with a fervour, hand flying over the firm flesh until his back bowed and suddenly Alec was coming all over their chests. Alec's inner muscles clamped down hard on Magnus' cock, making him cry out in alarm, and then Magnus was coming too, flooding Alec with his release. 

"Shit. That was..." for once, Magnus was lost for words. 

"Yeah," Alec agreed with what Magnus could only describe as a happy sigh. 

Magnus pulled his softening cock out from Alec's body, and Alec made an unhappy noise. 

"Shhh. I know," Magnus said soothingly, running a hand down Alec's thigh. 

 

 

Alec slumped back against the pillow, feeling incredibly wrung out and boneless. He was dimly aware of Magnus shifting one of his legs aside. Alec flushed when the change of angle caused Magnus' release to start leaking out of his body. He opened one eye and saw that Magnus was admiring his own handiwork. 

"Enjoying the view?" Alec asked wryly. 

"It's a very nice view," Magnus replied, grinning cheekily at Alec. 

Alec gasped when Magnus slid two fingers easily into his slick and well-fucked hole without warning, hips bucking up helplessly. He was still a little sensitive there, but it felt so good to have something back inside.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Alec tried to sound annoyed but the effect was spoiled by his moan when Magnus started pumping his fingers in and out of him. 

"Do you want me to stop?" Magnus asked teasingly. 

"Didn't say that," Alec mumbled in reply.

Magnus ran his thumb along the rim of Alec's entrance, and Alec bit back a groan of pleasure. His cock was already valiantly trying to fill up again, even though Alec had just had a mind-blowing orgasm a few minutes ago. 

"I'm going to make you beg me to fuck you again," Magnus promised, then leaned down and sucked Alec's half-hard cock into his mouth.

Alec gave a shout of surprise and was embarrassed to find himself whimpering when Magnus started rubbing teasing circles near his prostate - almost there but never with quite enough pressure. 

"I hate you," he moaned, trying to push Magnus' fingers deeper into his own body and fuck into Magnus' mouth at the same time, and getting absolutely nowhere. 

Magnus pulled off Alec's cock with an obscenely loud pop and grinned as he pulled his fingers out from Alec's body with a sharp twist that sent him jerking with the jolt of sudden pleasure. 

"Spread your legs wide for me, Alexander," Magnus said softly. "Show me where you want me."

Alec had a fleeting thought that perhaps he should protest being objectified like that, but he had also never been so turned on in his entire life. Well, two could play this game. He pulled his knees up to his chest, keeping his thighs splayed so he was completely exposed, and felt a little smug when he heard the sharp intake of breath from Magnus. 

"Come on, fuck me, Magnus," Alec said a little breathlessly. "You know you want to." 

Magnus covered Alec's body with his own immediately, and Alec keened when he felt the blunt head of Magnus' cock slipping easily into him. "God, you're gorgeous like this," Magnus groaned, and thrust in up to the hilt in one smooth movement. 

Their second time was just as frenetic as their first. Magnus had kept them both on edge with his teasing, and the thought that the slick slide inside Alec’s body was being helped along by a mixture of lube and Magnus' come from the first time was driving Alec crazy. 

"Harder, Magnus," Alec whispered while he tongued Magnus' ear, and Magnus did his best to pound Alec into the mattress. 

The familiar heat of his impending climax pooling in his gut, Alec lifted a hand from where he was clawing the bedsheets and started stroking himself, but Magnus was having none of it. He pulled out and manoeuvered Alec onto his hands and knees, then pushed back in and grabbed both of Alec's wrists, pinning them behind his back.

Alec spread his knees wider, a thrill going through him at letting Magnus fuck him like this. This was better than any fantasy he had ever had of sleeping with Magnus. He was going to die from sex with Magnus Bane, and what a way to go. 

"No touching," Magnus barked out through his laboured breathing. "You're going to come from just my cock fucking into your lovely ass."

"Can't, please," Alec protested. 

"Yes you can, darling," Magnus insisted, changing the angle of his thrusts slightly so that he was hitting Alec's prostate dead-on. "Let me see you coming on my cock."

"Shit, I can't, I _can't_ , let me come, Magnus, please," Alec writhed under Magnus, his climax so near and yet so far. The pleasure from the stimulation was unbearable, almost to the point of pain, and his neglected cock hanging heavily between his legs was aching so badly he felt like the slightest feather-like touch would make him come. 

Seeing Alec like this, desperate and wrecked, sent Magnus spiraling over the edge faster than he would have liked.

"Fuck. Going to come," Magnus warned him. "I'm going to - fuck!" 

Magnus plunged himself deep into Alec and ground hard into him, and it was too much for Alec - he came with a wordless shout, and Magnus had the presence of mind to put his hand on him to work him through his climax. 

"Nnngh," Alec grunted, feeling like he had just blown his brains out through his dick. Everything up there was a mush and he was still joined with Magnus. It made him feel good - safe, whole. 

"Clean up?" Magnus suggested half-heartedly, rolling them on their sides to keep his weight off Alec, but Alec was too blissed out to answer, already half asleep. 

They were going to regret this in so many ways tomorrow morning, Magnus thought, and surrendered to the pull of sleep as well. 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

When Alec woke up the next morning, Magnus still had his arms around him and Alec was pleasantly sore all over. He was also totally gross, covered in dried come, and maybe they'd overdone it a bit last night because he was going to feel Magnus there for a week. 

But that was ok. The hotel had a late check-out feature, so they could take advantage of that and laze in, call room service... and maybe even go for round three, if Magnus was up for it. Alec stretched out carefully, not wanting to wake Magnus up accidentally. Why didn't he do this more often? He worked hard during the week, after all. Why didn't he spend his weekends lazing in bed? It wasn't like he had anything on...? 

Shit. It was Sunday. 

"What time is it? I have to go," Alec jumped out of bed in a panic. 

Magnus made a disgruntled noise of confusion and sat up, adorably sleep-ruffled with his hair sticking up every which way. Alec wanted nothing more than to jump back in bed and kiss him, but he was already so late. 

Where were all his clothes? Did he have time to shower? God, he couldn't turn up looking like this, and there was _come_ flowing down his thighs. 

"Looking for this?" Magnus grinned, Alec's boxers hanging from one finger.  

"God, I don't have time for this, Bane."

Something in Magnus' expression shuttered immediately. "Oh, are we back to 'Bane' now? So we're only on first name basis when I have my dick inside you?" Magnus asked testily.

"Sorry, I just... It was a mistake, alright?" Alec sighed, cursing his brain for going on autopilot. 

"A mistake," Magnus repeated a little bitterly. 

"Come on. Don't be over-dramatic," Alec said, feeling a bit puzzled by Magnus' reaction to him accidentally calling him by his last name. 

"Well. I wouldn't want to be _over-dramatic_ ," Magnus bit out, shoving his pants on and retrieving his shirt from the floor, and stomping out of the room. 

Then he slammed the door behind him with enough force to shake the thin walls. 

"Fuck," Alec muttered, running a hand through his hair. "What did I do?" 

 

  

Magnus was on the warpath when he went into the office on Monday morning. He was going to find every single case Alexander Lightwood was representing, and he was going to fuck the bastard in court, metaphorically. Or maybe he was going to avoid him like the plague, he hadn't decided yet. 

"Magnus, boardroom meeting in ten, please," Ragnor called out as Magnus stomped past his office.

Magnus growled in frustration. It looked like his mission to screw Asshole Lightwood over was going to have to wait.  

Ten minutes later when Magnus slunk into the boardroom, he was surprised to see not just Ragnor and the other senior partners, but all of the board members attending the meeting. Whatever was going on was big. He sat up a little straighter, fighting the uneasy twist in his gut.  

"We've been offered a merger deal with Idris LLP," Ragnor announced without any preamble. 

"What? Why?" Magnus gasped in shock. 

"Imogen Herondale is due to retire next fall, but she hasn't been able to find a suitable successor. I'm sure we'll all agree that Idris has some promising young talent on its staff, and Fell & Co. could do with some new blood. It's a win-win situation for both of us."

"What are the terms?" Raphael asked. 

"Idris is an old, established firm, so we're rebranding as 'Fell & Idris'. But we still hold the majority share, so all senior partners will remain senior partners."

Magnus gritted his teeth. So maybe he wasn't going to be able to avoid Asshole Lightwood, but maybe he could still make life miserable for the bastard. He was going to show Lightwood just what he thought about manipulative assholes like him, pretending to be all innocent and sweet and using people for sex. God, Magnus was such a fool. 

"Magnus? Your vote?" Ragnor asked, drawing Magnus out of his slightly homicidal thoughts. 

"In favour," Magnus said immediately. 

 

 

As the date of the official merger drew nearer, Alec found himself in a constant state of anxiety. It had been three months since Magnus had walked out of the hotel room in a fury, and it had taken Alec exactly five days (and Izzy screaming at him) to figure out what had gone wrong. 

But Magnus hadn't even given Alec a chance to explain. He'd deleted his profile on Grindr and cut all contact with Alec’s siblings and friends. When Alec finally managed to wheedle his number out of Izzy, he'd found that Magnus had changed his number. In fact, he'd even quit the yoga class he shared with Izzy. Short of barging into Fell & Co.'s offices, Alec didn't know what to do - and he wasn't going to commit professional suicide like that. 

The weeks went by in a flurry of moving boxes and paperwork as they prepared to move into the bigger office building that they'd be using after the merger. He didn't sleep a wink the night before the big meeting, where all the staff of the two companies were going to be introduced to each other, and had to resort to a Red Eye coffee order the next morning. Perhaps that had been a bad idea - he didn't need caffeine jitters on top of everything.  

The bosses had decided to do the meeting as a casual stand-up breakfast sort of thing, to give the staff opportunities to mingle and make friends. That meant putting twenty big lawyerly egos in the same room with three dozen paralegals and interns as a buffer - a sure recipe for disaster, considering Idris and Fell were always clashing in the courtroom and there was plenty of competitive animosity between the two sides. 

Unfortunately, much as Alec wanted to fold himself into a corner and pretend he didn't exist, this meeting was also a big chance for him to show his mettle. He had to make a favourable impression on the new bosses, and being a wallflower was not an option. So he put on his haughty courtroom face and strolled into the room with as much bluster as he could summon. 

He couldn't help scanning the room for Magnus though, and nearly swallowed his tongue when he saw the older man. Magnus had obviously dressed to impress, wearing a tight-fitting pin-striped suit that showed off his broad shoulders and trim waist, hair done in his signature faux mohawk. Then their eyes met across the room, and Alec wanted to shrivel under the icy disdain in those incredible brown eyes.  

Instead, he squared his shoulders and forced himself to hold Magnus' gaze until Magnus looked away first. It was just a stupid misunderstanding, and Alec was going to explain himself, and they'd probably have a laugh over it and everything was going to be alright. 

He was concentrating so hard on keeping his shit together, he didn't hear a word of what Imogen Herondale and Ragnor Fell were saying. And he certainly hadn't been expecting Ragnor to approach him after the speech, with Magnus in tow. 

"Imogen has spoken very highly of you," Ragnor told him. "As has Magnus."

"Oh. Um, thanks," Alec said, caught wrong-footed. 

"I hear Magnus and you had quite the rivalry going on in court. That's not going to be a problem, right?" Ragnor asked.  

"Oh, not to worry. Alexander and I are _tight_ now," Magnus replied, and Alec nearly choked on his coffee.  

Ragnor frowned a bit at the odd emphasis in Magnus' sentence, but Magnus simply smiled beatifically back at him. 

"Well, that's good news, because the both of you are going to be working on the Barker case together." 

"What?!" Magnus and Alec gasped in unison. 

"I mean, sure. Yes, sir," Alec recovered. 

"Don't need to call me 'sir', Ragnor will do," he patted Alec on the shoulder and walked away to talk to someone else.

Magnus leaned close to Alec. "No point sucking up to him, you know," Magnus whispered, and Alec shivered when his breath tickled the sensitive spot behind his ears - a spot Magnus had spent a good ten minutes sucking on not so long ago. "You see, all the senior partners have been tasked with supervising the younger lawyers, and _I'm_ your new boss now. And I'm going to make your life a living hell."

"You're going to misuse your professional authority to threaten me, because of a misunderstanding that happened between us?" Alec frowned.

"Misunderstanding? Is that what we're calling it now?" Magnus snarled.

"You didn't give me a chance to explain!" 

"Save your sob story - it's not going to help you get in my pants again," Magnus bit out. 

"Why are you behaving as if I _tricked_ you into... Did you not want to?" Alec asked, suddenly feeling unsure. 

"Great, so now it's _my_ fault." 

"I didn't say that," Alec said through gritted teeth. "Are you even actually listening to me, or are you just hearing what you want to hear?"  

"Fuck you, Lightwood," Magnus snapped, and stalked off. 

It was only later, when he was replaying the conversation in his head, that Alec realised he hadn't actually explained to Magnus what the misunderstanding had been about. 

 

 

As it turned out, his long-awaited revenge on Alec Lightwood wasn't giving him any satisfaction at all. He'd kept to his promise, making Alec's life difficult in subtle ways - giving him time-consuming menial tasks that should really have gone to a paralegal instead of a full-fledged lawyer and didn't add much to Alec's billable hours, taking him off cases with the excuse that he needed Alec to concentrate on the Barker case (which was actually turning out to be a big deal, and Ragnor would have his head if he screwed it up because of his own petty quarrel with Alec). But Alec just took it all in stride with a stony expression and a haughty glare, probably on the basis that he wasn't going to sink to Magnus' level or something high-and-mighty like that.

So Magnus turned to Catarina for advice, because she had a heart of gold and he didn't deserve her, and because she was the least likely of all his friends to judge him for behaving like a twelve-year-old.

"And that's why revenge never works," she told him gently over coffee and rugelach. "You're expecting to get satisfaction from his reaction - maybe you want him to lose his temper and screw up, or maybe apologise. But even if you can force him to do what you want him to do because you're his boss, you can't control how he _feels_ about it."

"Well, if he wasn't such a sorry excuse for a human being..." Magnus muttered, stirring his coffee idly.

"Then he wouldn't have done what he did in the first place. Or maybe he's not reacting the way you're expecting him to, because _you're_ wrong about him."

"You still think I should have stuck around to hear his explanation, huh?"

Catarina shrugged. "Wouldn't hurt." 

Magnus sighed. "And the worst thing is, I can't stop thinking about him. I mean, the sex was phenomenal, but... how did he get under my skin like that?"

"I thought your philosophy has always been that the best way to get over a broken heart is to get back out there."

"Got any cute girls or guys to recommend then?" Magnus asked.

"Far be it from me to suggest volunteering as a way to meet people, but you could come volunteer at the hospice, one of these days. At least you can be sure whoever you meet there will be a kind soul," she said.

"I'm seeing right through your attempt to get me to help out at your hospice," Magnus grinned.

"Community service is good for the soul," Catarina countered with a wink.

"Fine. But at least let me come in on a day when there's some eye candy for me."

"Well... there is a guy who comes in every fortnight. His younger brother was a patient with us - car accident, terrible business. His brother passed away a few years back, but he still comes in every alternate Sunday to help out. I guess he would fit the description of tall, dark and handsome."

"Tall, dark and handsome" made Magnus think of Alec Lightwood, but he couldn't be the only person in New York City matching that description. 

"What's his name?" Magnus asked warily.

"Magnus, you don't actually expect me to remember the name of a volunteer, right? I'm a very busy woman," she said wryly.

Magnus laughed. "Ok, fine. This Sunday?"

She nodded. "Most of the residents are up by 9am, and the volunteers start after breakfast. So remember to set your alarm, ok? It's a long drive out."

"On it," Magnus said, already tapping the alarm in his phone. And even if it turned out to be a dud, maybe Magnus would feel better after doing a bit of good in the world.

 


	5. Chapter 5

 

The hospice was a quiet, neat place with a big garden for when it was warmer out. It was a care home for adults with varying levels of physical disability. Some were born this way, others had gotten sick or had been in an accident, but Catarina and her staff tried to keep things positive and comfortable for all the residents.  

Catarina was too busy to do anything more than meet Magnus at the door to say hi, leaving her assistant head Dot to bring Magnus to the general activity room where the more able-bodied residents could watch TV or play games. Christmas was coming soon, so apparently they were also doing some sort of craft activity for residents who were interested in making Christmas cards for their loved ones, and Magnus' heart skipped a beat when he saw the familiar head of tousled dark hair bent over a table. That... well, it couldn't be Alec Lightwood, right? Because if it was, Magnus was going to have _words_ with whoever was playing this whole cosmic joke on him. 

"This is Elias, John, Gretel, Lindsay and Alec," Dot introduced everyone at the table, oblivious to Magnus' mortification. "And this is Magnus - he's our new volunteer." 

Alec's head snapped up in surprise, and Magnus found himself actually fucking _blushing_ , because he'd just realised why Alec had been in such a hurry to leave that morning after their night together. 

"Hello, Alexander," Magnus said quietly. 

"Hey," Alec replied a little awkwardly. 

"You know each other?" Dot asked. Magnus thought it was a silly question, since the tension between him and Alec was so thick it could be cut with a knife.  

"Yeah. Magnus and I, uh, work together," Alec replied. 

"Oh, that's a lovely coincidence," Dot said, sounding rather unconvinced. "We usually have another volunteer, Emma, but she's down with the flu today. So it's just going to be the two of you helping out. Alec can show you what to do, he's our regular volunteer." 

Magnus smiled and nodded and let Alec take the lead. Today wasn't about him, or Alec, or whatever was going on between them, so Magnus set that aside and concentrated on what they needed him to do.

Besides, it was obvious Alec knew what he was doing. He knew Elias would need a little more cajolling to participate in the group activities, knew when Gretel was showing signs of frustration when her hands just wouldn't do what she wanted them to do, and how to help her get past it. At lunchtime, he patiently helped Lindsay cut up her fish and chips because she didn't have the arm strength to do it herself anymore. He played chess with John because they had a standing agreement to play at least one game every time Alec visited. And all the other residents knew Alec, trusted him, were happy to see him - because he always had a smile and kind word for them. 

Magnus watched, and observed, and felt his heart filling up with affection and appreciation for Alec.  

In the evening, when they had said goodbye to everyone, Magnus found himself racing down the steps to corner Alec before he got in his car and escaped from Magnus. 

"Alec, I... Gods, I've been such an asshole to you. This is the second time I've just assumed the worst of you," Magnus said, shame-faced. 

"I tried to explain," Alec grumbled.  

"I know, and I was too busy being caught up in my own insecurities to listen. I'm sorry. I know I have trust issues - my ex-girlfriend really screwed me over - but that's no excuse for the way I treated you."

"Well. Apology accepted," Alec finally said. He fiddled with the car keys in his hand. "Magnus, I... Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed being with you. But maybe we should take things slow. Be friends first, you know?" 

"Sure," Magnus said, swallowing a lump in his throat. What did he expect, after the way he'd behaved? Friendship was probably the best he could hope for after that whole mess. 

"I guess I'll see you at the office tomorrow, then," Alec said with a small smile, and Magnus watched his car go until it was out of sight.

 

 

Magnus, it turned out, was an all-or-nothing sort of guy - when he wanted nothing to do with Alec, he might as well have moved to the other side of the planet, but now that they were friendly, he was everywhere Alec turned. He made up with Izzy and Clary, started turning up at the hospice on Sundays, and at work both of them were always together, building their defence for the Barker case. 

Alec’s resolve to take things more slowly with Magnus was being sorely tested 24/7. Did he really have to be such a perfect picture of everything Alec had ever dreamed of in a partner? It wasn't just that he was gorgeous and charming and smart, because Alec already knew that. Now that he'd gotten over his anger at Alec, he was also a patient mentor, and truly invested in their client's best interests. Alec had thought it impossible to find a lawyer who wasn't cynical or jaded with the legal system and their job, but somehow Magnus had managed to retain a childlike idealism which Alec found incredibly inspiring. 

But Magnus also remained completely platonic in his interactions with Alec, and Alec had a feeling they'd crossed wires again.  

So when they finally won the Barker case and Magnus took the whole team out for drinks to celebrate, Alec thought he'd take the opportunity to make his intentions clear. Maybe he'd had a bit too much to drink when trying to build up his courage, though. He hadn't meant to slam Magnus against the wall in the narrow hallway in front of the washrooms and start sucking hickeys on that glorious bronze skin around Magnus' adam's apple. 

"Alexander, stop," Magnus gasped, pushing him gently away, and Alec was pleased to hear that he sounded just as wrecked as Alec felt. "A quickie in a bathroom stall is not what you and I want from each other." 

"Wouldn't say no to it, though," Alec joked. 

"Ok - not _all_ we want from each other," Magnus amended with a laugh. 

"Magnus, when I said I wanted to take things more slowly, I didn't mean I wanted us to come to a screeching halt."

Magnus looked surprised. "Oh. Is this the euphoria from winning the case talking?" 

"No. Magnus, I'm serious."

"Even if I have the tendency to behave with all the maturity of a twelve-year-old when I'm angry?" Magnus grinned, and Alec laughed. 

"It wasn't that bad."

"Ever the optimist," Magnus scoffed. "Look, let's talk about it, soon. When both of us are actually sober."

"Ok, fair enough. But soon." 

"Soon," Magnus agreed. 

  

 

But somehow, "soon" never had a chance to materialise. They were both in high demand after the success of the Barker case - first Magnus had to go to Chicago for a meeting, then Alec had to go to San Francisco. And this just wasn't the sort of conversation either of them wanted to have over the phone or Skype.  

In fact, Christmas was almost upon them and they still hadn't had their talk, and Magnus had only realised that when the interns started passing around a hat with names for the secret santa gift exchange for the office Christmas party happening the next week. When Magnus looked down at the paper he'd drawn out of the hat, he couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry - because of course he'd gone and drawn Alec's name. 

Well. Perhaps this was as good an opportunity as any to start the conversation... 

By the time Magnus got off the phone with his client and finally joined the party, all the secret santa presents had already been laid out on a table, and most of them had already been claimed. Magnus didn't see Alec anywhere, but his present was gone - so Magnus could only wait for Alec to make the next move. He sighed and snagged himself a glass of mulled wine and went to look for his own gift.  

When Magnus picked up the present with his name on it, he thought it felt like a pack of playing cards. He frowned, and unwrapped it to find that he hadn't been completely wrong - it was a deck of cards, but instead of the usual aces, spades or hearts, the cards were blank. Well, _had been_ blank - someone had written on them, mostly the names of places, like "Metropolitan Museum of Art" or "Central Park Zoo". And Magnus would recognise that careful, blocky handwriting anywhere. _Alec_. Wait - _his_ secret santa was Alec?! What were the chances of that happening? He huffed out a breath of incredulous laughter. 

He scanned the room, and saw that Alec was watching him from a slight distance away - probably had been, this whole time, while he was unwrapping his gift. 

He walked up to Alec and waved one of the cards. "What's this then?" 

"Ideas for places we can go to for our first dates," Alec explained, sounding very nervous indeed. "Most of these are places I've never been to before, but some are my favourite spots in New York. Fifty cards in total, though some are blank, for you to contribute." 

"First _dates_? The term 'first' implies that it's a singular occurrence," Magnus pointed out. "Although, to be fair, I think we've accidentally gone on two or three 'first dates' with each other."

Alec shook his head. "No, first dates, plural - because going to every single one of this places with you will be like experiencing it for the first time. Because every time I see you, you surprise me all over again. Because there's so much about you that I don't know, and I want to spend possibly the rest of my life finding out. And - well, and I hope you feel the same way about me too."

"You're such a sap, Alexander Gideon Lightwood," Magnus smiled, well aware that he was tearing up. 

"Hey - I know you guys are having a moment, and I don't want to be that person, but..." Maia interrupted, smiling, and pointed at something above them. 

Alec looked up and let out a sound that was half laugh and half groan. They were standing under the mistletoe. 

"Yes, thank you, universe, we got the hint!" Magnus giggled and pulled Alec down for a kiss that might have gotten a little more involved than appropriate for an office Christmas party. 

"Now I feel bad. You put all that thought into your very sweet gift, and I gave you... well, that," Magnus finally said, indicating the parcel in Alec's hand. 

"Huh? _You're_ my secret santa?" Alec asked in amusement. 

"I know, right?" Magnus laughed, and Alec snorted. 

"What is it?" Alec asked curiously, and started to tear the wrapping. 

"Oh my god, Alexander! Didn't you read my note? Don't open it here!" Magnus laughed, plucking the parcel out of his hands. 

"Why?"

Magnus leaned in to whisper in Alec's ear. "It's a double-ended dildo."

"A- what now?" Alec stuttered, turning beetroot red. 

"I was going to offer to try it with you," Magnus said slyly. 

"You- I- oh my god," Alec struggled to keep his breathing under control, dropping his head down to Magnus' shoulder. "You're going to be the death of me." 

"Wanna take it for a spin tonight?" Magnus smirked.

"Nngh," Alec grunted, his breath hitching. 

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Magnus laughed.  

"Now," Alec panted. "We're leaving right now." 

"Are you sure you don't want to wait till after Ragnor makes his little Christmas speech? He does one every year, spends a long time writing it you know," Magnus asked innocently. 

" _Now_ , or I'm locking us in your office and doing you right on your desk," Alec growled. 

"That actually sounds kinda hot."

" _Magnus_!" Alec said in a strangled voice. 

"Oh, fine. Geez, you're bossy when you're horny," Magnus said with a mock put-upon expression, and let Alec drag him away from the party. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost at the end now - one more chapter of gratuitous porn coming right up. (You didn't think I was going to introduce an exciting toy, then just leave all of you hanging, right?)


	6. Chapter 6

 

 

 

The first time they'd done this had been chaotic and urgent, hands all over each other before they'd even stepped into the door. This time, they let the tension build, humming taut between them and making Alec hyperaware of every look, every touch. 

They had gone to Magnus' place this time. Magnus opened the door and ushered him in with a sweeping gesture. 

"Do you want the grand tour now or later?" 

"Maybe later," Alec said, taking in the colourful and eclectic interior. Magnus took his hand and led him to the bedroom, but they had barely stepped over the threshold when there was a meow, and Alec spotted a familiar grey and white cat peeping at them from a corner. 

Magnus grinned. "I'm going to put him in the guest room, he shouldn't be seeing this. Make yourself at home." 

Alec nodded, and when Magnus came back he found Alec reading Magnus' note on his gift with a fond smile on his face. "'Think of me when you shoot your arrows'? Really, Magnus?"

"You're reading that now? Whatever happened to 'now, now, now'?" Magnus asked. 

"I've got you all to myself now," Alec grinned. "We've got time."

He sat down on the bed and began tearing the paper away, finally extracting the toy from its box. 

Magnus had to admit it didn't look terribly sexy. It looked like an oddly-shaped bright purple banana, with a centre base in the middle that contained a vibrator. Alec wrinkled his nose, obviously not keen on the colour.

"I'm sorry it didn't come in forest green or navy blue, or whatever other manly colours you have in your wardrobe," Magnus teased, taking the toy out of his hands and putting it aside. 

"Hey, I wear colour," Alec protested.

"What, like this shirt?" Magnus asked, plucking playfully at the buttons on Alec's plain black button-up.

"We can't all pull off hot pink hair streaks like you, give me a break," Alec groused, then gasped when Magnus straddled him and sat down in his lap. 

Magnus leaned down to catch Alec's bottom lip between his own, nibbling gently on it, and Alec opened his mouth so their tongues could slide against each other. They undid each other's shirt buttons one by one, revelling in the slow unwrapping of each other. Magnus pushed Alec down gently and started kissing down his neck to his bare chest while Alec ran his hands up and down Magnus' back, then to tease at the waistband of his pants. 

"Do you ever actually wear underwear?" Alec muttered when he got to removing Magnus' pants, and Magnus laughed. 

"Ok, I might have been hoping to bring you home tonight," Magnus confessed. "Or at least having you in my office."

"We could still do that," Alec grinned. "Imagine me going down on my knees in front of you, hidden under the desk so nobody can see me..." 

"Are you trying to make it impossible for me to get any work done in my office ever again?" Magnus demanded, and attacked all the sensitive spots on Alec's neck in retaliation. 

 

 

When the last pieces of clothing had been removed, Alec picked up the dildo and examined it more closely. 

"How do we do this?"

Magnus shrugged. "Trial and error?"

"Isn't there an instruction manual or something with this thing?" Alec asked, already reaching for the box.

"Alexander, are you seriously going to waste time reading an _instruction manual_  for a dildo when you're naked in bed with me?" Magnus complained and pinned Alec down on the bed. 

"Someone's got to be the one with the plan," Alec teased, trying to flip Magnus over, but Magnus shook his head and started grinding down his hips. 

"Oh, I have a plan, alright. I'm going to suck on your lovely cock while I fuck you open with my fingers until you're nice and loose, and you're going to do the same to me," Magnus said. 

"Ok, good plan," Alec replied, feeling a little dazed and instruction manual forgotten when Magnus started pressing kisses down his body again.  

Magnus kneeled with his knees on either side of Alec's head, and immediately got to work swallowing half of Alec's cock down. Alec gasped and reached up to lick at the head of Magnus' cock, swirling his tongue and eagerly lapping up the spurts of precome while Magnus pushed his legs apart and began teasing his hole with a lubed finger. Not to be outdone, Alec also pressed the tip of a lubed finger into Magnus, then slid it all the way into his clenching heat - they both moaned, but the sounds were muffled by the cocks in their mouths, sending a jolt of molten arousal down Alec's body. 

Alec tried his best to keep up, he really did - but Magnus tonguing at the slit of his cock while fucking him with two fingers was just... a lot. Then there was how tight Magnus was, and just thinking of having the opportunity to put his cock inside that someday was going to make him come. 

"Magnus, Magnus... you have to stop, otherwise I'm going to come and ruin everything," he gasped out. 

"Why would you coming ruin anything?" Magnus asked, but gave in and stopped his ministrations on Alec's cock, switching to sucking bruises on his hip bones instead. 

 

 

When they were both stretched enough, Magnus came back up to kiss Alec, the taste of each other mingling on their tongues. 

Then Magnus smeared a generous amount of lube on the dildo, put one end against Alec's entrance and pushed lightly, and it began to slide in. Alec grunted at the stretch but indicated that Magnus should continue.

"I've never used these things before," Alec admitted, watching Magnus work the toy into his body with a mixture of embarrassment and fascination.

"You're missing out on a whole new world of butt plugs and prostate massagers," Magnus joked, trying to distract Alec from the odd sensation of the fake cock sliding into his body.

"Maybe next time," Alec muttered, jaws clenched.

"Are you feeling ok?"  

"I guess," Alec replied, sounding a little strained.

Magnus leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips. "We can stop, if you want to."

"No, I'm fine," Alec insisted. "Keep on going."

"You look positively sinful, darling," Magnus purred when the dildo was all the way in. He fucked it in and out of Alec's body, and Alec groaned in pleasure, chasing the movement with his hips. 

"God, Magnus, I..."

"Do you want to just come like this?" Magnus asked, his own breathing getting heavier from watching Alec lost in pleasure. 

Alec shook his head stubbornly.

"Another time then," Magnus promised. "Ok. I think here comes the tricky part."

He manoeuvered himself between Alec's legs and slowly pushed himself onto the other end of the dildo. Alec whined, gripping the base for him while Magnus took it inch by inch until the centre base was flush against his ass, then Magnus adjusted his legs so that one was over one of Alec's and one was under. They were so close that their groins and asses were almost touching, and the feeling of fullness was... interesting. Not good yet, but not bad either.

Alec caught Magnus' eye and grinned. "This feels so weird. I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Me neither, but I guess we get to figure out together," Magnus replied with an answering grin. 

Magnus gave an experimental roll of his hips, and they both moaned at the sensation, "interesting" escalating rapidly to "amazing".

"Shit. Do that again," Alec gasped.

Magnus made a couple of figure eights with his hips and Alec immediately pushed back against him, mirroring his movements.

"That's it, Alexander. Fuck yourself on it. Fuck it into me," Magnus moaned, and Alec dug his heels into the mattress for more leverage, pushing the dildo harder and further into Magnus so that it was rubbing his prostate.

"Oh god, just like that. Alexander..." Magnus let his head loll back against the bed - with Alec's enthusiastic thrusts, it actually felt almost like he was getting fucked by the real thing.

They alternated between slow rolling movements and fast frenetic grinding, their thighs brushing against each other. It was good, it was fantastic, but it wasn't quite enough for Magnus to come.

"I'm going to go for the vibrator," Magnus panted, and started reaching for the central base between their bodies when Alec nodded.

When the dildo buzzed to life, Alec, who had been relatively quiet except for some laboured breathing, suddenly cried out and bucked his hips. Magnus tried to hold still while Alec writhed on the dildo and pumped his own cock, Magnus' own climax getting closer and closer from the merciless stimulation on his prostate. Magnus reached shakily for his own cock, stroking once, twice - then Alec came with a shout of Magnus' name, and that was enough to pull Magnus over the edge as well. He could feel come landing on his balls and thighs, but he had no idea if it was his or Alec's, and just the thought of that sent another wave of pleasure through him. 

Magnus made several desperate swipes to turn the dildo off when the vibrations got too much, and they both fell back on the bed, breathing hard. Then he slid the toy out from himself and Alec, grabbed a wet cloth to clean them both up, then flopped back on the bed.

"Ok, I am obviously awesome at gift-giving, because that's going to be a gift that keeps giving," Magnus sighed contentedly. 

"I still think I liked having you inside better though," Alec admitted a little shyly.

Magnus smiled and turned to Alec, cupping his face and kissing him fondly. "You're sweet. Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time to do that too, and try all sorts of new things together."

"I'd like that," Alec said, and pulled Magnus into his arms. 

It was too early to say that he loved Alec now, but Magnus had a feeling that even before they got through all of Alec's fifty first date cards, falling in love with Alexander Lightwood would be the easiest thing in the world. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End. 
> 
> Ok, I'm afraid it's back to your regular programme of slow burn and angst from me XD (Until the next fluffy plot bunny comes along, at least.)
> 
> Thank you all for reading and commenting, you guys have been awesome and absolutely lovely to write for. 
> 
> XOXO


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